I am a meathead, I like lifting weights. If I could hangout in the gym all day, every day, I would. I’ve gone a bit deeper than the average dude with my lifting too. I have read a lot of information about lifting. I have always tried to learn more about getting strong and getting big. I have found many great teachers in my quest for knowledge, injury has been one of the greatest teachers. I am grateful for everything I have learned through the injuries I have suffered to my body.
My body has suffered its fair share of injuries over the course of 20 years of lifting weights. I have torn both pectorals, one horribly, one not so horribly. I have lower back issues. I have torn my calf. I have had what I would guess is tendonitis issues in both Achilles’ tendons. I have issues with one bicep tendon. I had a stretch of several years where my left arm would have random numbness. I have had inguinal hernias on both sides, I am still waiting to fix the one. I think that covers most of my injuries, to be honest that is not a horrible slate of injuries, but I have been through a few. All of these things have been great teachers.
These things have taught me so much because I never quit lifting any longer than I was forced to. When I suffered my major pec tear, I was training my lower body the next day. I just kept coming back and had to overcome all these things. This is where injuries really teach us. They force us to learn how to overcome. These are fantastic lessons.
From a training standpoint injuries really flip the script on us. As I accumulated these injuries I couldn’t just go into the gym and bang and clang the weights like young dudes like to do. I have to learn a lot about warmups and recovery work to keep my body from breaking any more. I learned how to bench press 300 pounds again after tearing both pecs, which forced me to learn a ton about bench press technique. I could no longer just lay back and press. Injuries force us to be smarter about our training, in many cases we can still do cool things.
In addition to all the lessons I have learned about the nuts and bolts of training, injuries have taught me a lot of mental things. I have learned how to emotionally and mentally overcome problems. Every single time I was injured I found a way to come back just as strong as before. This teaches mental fortitude. I have also learned so much about pain through injuries. Overcoming injuries will often mean pain, sometimes lots of it. Now a lot of times, walking into the gym means I am walking into pain. I think being able to walk into pain is a skill for life. Injuries really do offer to teach us so much.
Since injuries have taught me so much, I also have more to teach others because of these experiences. I plan to do some personal training and strength coaching in the future. I will be a better teacher after all these exercises. I am far wiser about when to push and when to back off. I know more about staying healthy. I can pass these lessons onto others and help them in so many ways. A meathead of 20 years with a few injuries under their belt just has a better perspective than someone who has been lifting 2 years and has not yet suffered PAIN. I hope I can pass my lessons onto others save them some of the problems I have created for myself through injuries.
Injuries happen to everyone, whether they workout or not. They are a part of life. Learning how to overcome them teaches so much. I am glad I have learned these lessons. I didn’t seek these lessons out but I accepted them when they were presented to me. I am grateful I know these lessons, even if I can say I hated the teachers.